<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Dedicated by EmbraceTheFlamingo</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385257">Dedicated</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbraceTheFlamingo/pseuds/EmbraceTheFlamingo'>EmbraceTheFlamingo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dedicated 'verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dancing, M/M, Republic City, fellas is it gay to found a city together, zukaangweek2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:42:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,374</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbraceTheFlamingo/pseuds/EmbraceTheFlamingo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Song after song, they twist and turn and jump and laugh and make silly faces at each other; childish, perhaps, but they'll have time to take themselves seriously later.</p><p>For now, it's only the two of them.</p><p> </p><p>Zukaang Week 2020 ● Day 1: Dance ● Day 2: Autumn</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dedicated 'verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841986</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Zukaang Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. barely noticed it from the start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>here it is, my unbeta'd and unapologetic story for #zukaangweek2020. it's technically an AU because Aang and Zuko are not involved in other romantic relationships, but everything else is unchanged (probably.) tags will be added as i post.</p><p>i've been listening to Carly Rae Jepsen on repeat while writing this, hence the titles; also, the first two chapters in particular are inspired by that fantastic picture of Zuko and Aang at Republic City.</p><p>finally, huge thanks to the_cloud_whisperer, for being an awesome friend and supporter ♥</p><p>today's prompt is: dance. enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko sighs, deep and dramatic. “Do you think it's possible to get myself banished for disgracing the Fire Lord a second time?”</p><p>“Not when you're the Fire Lord and you're the one who makes the rules, no.”</p><p>“Everyone will laugh at me and my reputation will be forever tarnished. Again.” Zuko's pacing now, restless. How is he supposed to survive this day?</p><p>“Come on, it won't be that bad.”</p><p>“No, it will be worse. I'll have to move to Ba Sing Se and serve tea for the rest of my life.”</p><p>“Then I'm sure the Earth Kingdom will appreciate your fine blends.”</p><p>“Can't you see that I'm trying to panic here?” Zuko laments.</p><p>With great pathos, Aang parrots Zuko's sigh, mournfully putting a hand over his own heart. “You're right. The world is ending, the sky will fall, every single Fire Nation citizen will hate you, all because you're going to dance in front of them. You might as well forfeit the crown to Momo now.”</p><p>“It's <em>not</em> funny.”</p><p>“It kind of is. Sorry,” Aang says, not looking sorry in the least. “We're about to get on a stage and make our great announcement for the inauguration of the newborn Republic City, on which we've been working ourselves ragged for literally years, and you're worried about the dance?”</p><p>“Thanks, now I remembered that there's even more to be anxious about!”</p><p>“Look, I'm here, we're in this together, and you won't get a better partner than me anywhere in the world.”</p><p>“I've never even saw you dance!”</p><p>“You did, at the Sun Warriors' Temple.”</p><p>“That was a <em>firebending form!</em>”</p><p>Aang rolls his eyes. “Whatever. You don't need to see me, I'm amazing anyway,” he says with absolute certainty. From anyone else, it would have been obvious bragging; from Aang, though, it's just the truth. “Zuko, we'll be fine.”</p><p>Zuko's two left feet would beg to differ. “It would have helped if we had time to actually practice together. Mai's been my partner, but she hated every second of it.”</p><p>“She does hate official events, doesn't she?” Aang laughs. “Okay. We have a few hours before the big scary public dance.” He stands, and offers his hand to Zuko like it's a perfectly normal thing to do.</p><p>“What?” Zuko splutters. He needs preparation before this kind of stuff, it can't be sprung on him like this!</p><p>“It will calm your nerves. Let's go, Hotman.”</p><p>Is there really a choice? When has Zuko ever said no to Aang, anyway? He accepts the proffered hand and lets himself be pulled close.</p><p>Aang puts on the music from the opening dance, a lively, triumphal piece. Slowly starting to circle around Zuko, he explains, “These are all traditional songs that have been picked specifically so that neither of us will have to lead the other, or so that our roles will be switched. People won't be focused solely on you, and besides, everyone else will be dancing too.”</p><p>“I know that,” Zuko grumbles, mirroring his steps. The major point of this celebration is to show his alliance to the Avatar and, by extension, to all nations; Republic City is meant to be a symbol of hope and unity, a place where every culture can converge and coexist with the others.</p><p>In short, today's ceremony is a fundamental step in post-war reparations, enough to wreck Zuko's nerves when he thinks about how high the stakes are, and how much he can't fuck this up.</p><p>But now Zuko is finding it harder and harder to worry, because his body and Aang's have already fallen in synch; even though it's the first time they perform the choreography together, Aang is an amazing teacher and the perfect partner. Of course he is.</p><p>Aang, who dances like it's his birthright, like there's nothing simpler and more natural, like the whole world is at his fingertips and he can compel it to move anyway he wants. Zuko's dragged into his orbit, unable not to share his enthusiasm, not to smile, not to feel fully alive.</p><p>Having witnessed Aang's impeccable bending forms for years wasn't enough to prepare Zuko for this experience. Because now they're touching, and they're not fighting, and there's no excuse for him not to notice how elegant Aang is, how precise, how effortlessly their bodies move in unison.</p><p>Zuko could envy Aang's grace, but he doesn't. He learned long ago that Aang is too pure to be resented for anything.</p><p>Song after song, they twist and turn and jump and laugh and make silly faces at each other; childish, perhaps, but they'll have time to take themselves seriously later.</p><p>For now, it's only the two of them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>dramatic!Zuko is so fun to write</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. we could turn the world to gold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>shout-out to the_cloud_whisperer for reminding me that the word "brazier" exists.</p><p>today's prompt is: autumn.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Enveloped by warmth from the lit brazier behind them and the sound of heartfelt applause from the crowd before them, Zuko stands with Aang on the Republic City podium.</p><p>They made it. The inauguration ceremony's over, and it's been a wondrous success.</p><p>Zuko looks to his side and takes in the sight of Aang, bathed in fiery light, shrouded in his ceremonial yellow and orange robe, a creature of autumn both in color and depth—the Bridge Between Worlds, ally of spirits, profoundly marked by death and yet never corrupted by grief, here with Zuko to witness and give blessing to this day of rebirth.</p><p><em>Orange is such an awful color,</em> Mai had said to Zuko ages ago during one of their romantic sunset dates. It used to be a game of theirs, to hide behind these backhanded declarations; it obviously didn't take much to read between the lines, but the safe distance provided by purposeful denial had been comforting for both of them.</p><p>Zuko doesn't need that protection anymore. It would be pointless to lie now, to affirm that orange suits Aang less than gloriously; he looks every part the Avatar, wise and magnificent, captivating their audience with words of peace and acceptance.</p><p>All of it is pure perfection, a dream come true. Zuko's heart, the whole of him, is bursting with luminous gratitude.</p><p>Fire behind and inside him, his best friend at his side, Zuko feels on top of the world. He sort of is, in fact, and as he takes in all the happy, moved, open faces gathered before them, he can only bask in the celebration of this huge step forward.</p><p>He will carry his ancestors' crimes on his shoulders as long as he lives, and he will do so willingly. A hundred years of war can't be undone, nor can they be atoned for with only pretty words and some ribbon-cutting; it will take all of his efforts, all of his dedication, all of his fire, to bring new life and hope to lands that have been stripped barren of both.</p><p>Aang laces their fingers together, a simple yet powerful gesture, a casual display of their bond for all the world to see.</p><p>It only takes that split second of clarity, and Zuko knows that there couldn't be a more absurdly magical moment to realize that he is, in fact, head over heels in love with Aang.</p><p>He dazedly lets his thumb run over Aang's hand, because at this point it all feels so overwhelming, so magnificent and surreal that panic and what-ifs can't reach him.</p><p>And this has been a long time coming, hasn't it? Since the beginning, their fates have been intertwined; it's no wonder that there are infinite layers of this all-encompassing, ever-giving love to be discovered, infinite ways to be enamored with Aang and be cherished in return.</p><p>Let this be the day where everyone can witness the truth in Zuko's eyes; he'll be brave enough to face it too, for whatever their future together holds, Zuko knows that he can trust Aang to be gentle with his heart.</p><p>Music fills the room, prompting everyone to jump up and grab their partners in a frenzy; the buoyant feeling of completeness in Zuko's chest expands, echoed and amplified by the joy around him.</p><p>“So, Zuko... Shall we dance?” Aang says, a gorgeous smile on his face. He pulls on Zuko's hand, drawing him closer, just like he did in the morning.</p><p>Zuko laughs. “Of course. We can't let all that practice go to waste.”</p><p>“Wouldn't dream of it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you for reading!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>